GALLS AND PARASITES. 



283 



It was recorded in the " Gardener's Chronicle " in 

 1843 (p. 52), and the insect was then named Cynips 

 quercus tiarce. 



There is still another gall occurring on the under- 

 side of oak-leaves, which is globose, and often as large 

 as a cherry, brightly 

 coloured, and quite 

 smooth. It is by no 

 means an uncommon 

 gall, and in most cases 

 seems to arise from a 

 puncture of the midrib. 

 The insect which in- 

 habits it is a CynipS) 

 but that is often ac- 

 companied by one, if 

 not two kinds of para- 

 sites. 1 It is a curious 

 fact that these gall in- 

 sects, which are para- 

 sites upon the oak, have often other insects which 

 are parasitic upon them. 



CURRANT OAK-GALLS. Small round galls are not 

 uncommon in spring on the flower-stalks of the oak 

 They are nearly of the size and resemble red-currants, 

 the more so when several of them are growing together 

 on the same peduncle. The Cynips? or little fly 

 which produces this gall, has also two parasites, 3 to 

 the attacks of one or both of which it is subjected. 



1 Decatoma Cooperi and a species of Callimone. 



2 Cynips peduncuti. 



3 Callimone flavipes and Plalymesopus tibialis. 



CURRANT GALL. 



